VAWG services for diverse needs
Specialist services for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) inadequately equipped to support all survivors, particularly those with diverse needs.
126 items
10 sources
1 inquiry
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#11 - Specialist VAWG services inadequately equipped to support all survivors with diverse needs.
Women’s Aid also raised concerns over how well–equipped services were to provide the necessary support to all survivors, stating that there are only two refuges nationally that are wheelchair accessible.24 Written evidence submitted by Commonweal Housing highlighted that mothers with older sons may be considered unsuitable for many refuges, and suggested that this may increase the likelihood of...
Matched on
terms: diverse, need, service, vawg
Committee recommendation
100match
#16 - Financial uncertainty significantly harms smaller 'by-and-for' VAWG services crucial for diverse survivor needs.
This financial uncertainty can have particularly devastating consequences on smaller, specialist organisations, including those run ‘by–and–for’ the people that they serve. Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse told us that funding ‘by–and–for’ services not only ensures adequate support for all survivors, regardless of specific needs, but also saves costs. For example, research referenced by Southall Black Sisters suggests that...
Matched on
terms: diverse, need, service, vawg
Committee recommendation
100match
#48 - Policing must demonstrate cultural change through excellent service for VAWG victims.
Policing needs to show rather than tell women and girls that cultural change has taken place. It can start by providing a consistently excellent service to victims and survivors of VAWG. The availability of officers with the right skills and sensitivities is a crucial part of this.
Matched on
terms: need, service, vawg
Committee recommendation
90match
#10 - VAWG charities face overwhelming, complex demands, exceeding capacity due to external factors.
Women’s Aid told the Committee that the demands being faced by charities are increasing both in volume and complexity.20 For example, demand for specialist mental health support for survivors has increased following the COVID–19 pandemic, with over 45% of people in refuges now presenting with mental health problems.21 Women’s Aid described the current situation as a “crisis”, and...
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terms: service, vawg
Committee recommendation
78match
#6 - Conduct local VAWG funding mapping and publish cross-government mapping with annual updates
We recommend that local authorities, police and crime commissioners and mayors conduct mapping exercises to identify where they allocate funding to tackle VAWG. We recommend that the Government publish alongside the VAWG strategy its cross-government mapping of where funding to tackle VAWG is being targeted, and provide annual updates. (Recommendation, Paragraph 18) Measuring outcomes of services
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terms: service, vawg
Committee recommendation
78match
#5 - Mandate annual mapping and update of central and local VAWG funding
Mapping of where central and local government are spending money to tackle VAWG should lead to reduced duplication of services as well as fewer gaps in the services funded. Each local authority should annually map, and update, their funding provision in the interests of transparency and accountability, and to deliver more effective spending of public money. Central cross-government...
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terms: service, vawg
Committee recommendation
77match
#23 - Publish new hate crime action plan focused on tackling intersectional abuse of Muslim women.
The Government should publish a new hate crime action plan with a dedicated focus on tackling the intersectional abuse of Muslim women. This plan should include mechanisms on how to increase reporting and guidance on how public services should respond to intersectional abuse, including abuse directed at Muslim women. Affected minority groups, especially those who experience intersectional abuse,...
Matched on
terms: need, service
Committee recommendation
76match
#12 - By-and-for services for honour-based abuse victims are underfunded with complex commissioning
By-and-for services, which are organisations designed and run by and for people who are minoritised, are vital to ensuring victims of honour- based abuse receive the support they need. However, the sector is underfunded, and complex commissioning processes often prevent smaller specialist organisations from competing against generic and larger providers for the funding available. Such funding is also...
Matched on
terms: need, service
Committee recommendation
75match
#2 - Improve government departments' understanding of domestic abuse survivors' experiences and local service demands.
Government departments do not have a realistic understanding of the experiences of survivors seeking support, nor the demands faced by local services on the ground. Government departments appear to have a starkly different understanding of the support provided to survivors of domestic abuse who seek support in their local communities compared with the reality. We were particularly concerned...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
70match
#44 - Ensure women's health hubs meet specific demographic needs, accounting for religious and cultural considerations.
Integrated care boards must ensure that their hubs meet the specific demographic needs of their populations, particularly accounting for religious and cultural considerations.
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terms: need
Committee recommendation
69match
#4 - Tenth Report - The humanitarian situation in Tigray
We are appalled by the distressing reports of human rights abuses, gender-based violence and sexual violence in Tigray. The horrors that have been inflicted on people and their suffering during this conflict are unimaginable, and we are particularly saddened that, once again, women and girls are being targeted. It is essential that the fighting ends as soon as...
Matched on
terms: need, service
Committee recommendation
69match
#23 - Ensure SRHR services in humanitarian contexts reach marginalised groups through FCDO knowledge-sharing.
The FCDO has made positive progress in tackling sexual and reproductive health in humanitarian contexts, such as by adopting the Minimum Initial Services Package. The FCDO should ensure that SRHR services in these contexts reach the most marginalised groups and consider how to further implement SRHR aid programming in humanitarian contexts to meet need. This should include knowledge-...
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terms: need, service
Committee recommendation
65match
#4 - Set out approval process for NI EVAWG strategy during Executive suspension
We are concerned to hear about the gatekeeping of funding and other activity by paramilitary groups which has increasingly excluded women and the community and voluntary sector since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. This has implications for the construction of a post-conflict society in Northern Ireland. We are therefore pleased to note that the Government has...
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terms: vawg
Committee recommendation
64match
#21 - Limited consideration of women in drug strategy overlooks specific barriers to treatment access.
We were concerned that the government’s drug strategy made little reference to women.70 Written evidence submitted by the Office of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner underlined the limited consideration of women and girls in the strategy, and the lack of reference to wider work on women in the criminal justice system.71 This was reinforced by evidence...
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terms: need, service
PFD report
61match
James Stokoe
Mental Health Services lack formal mechanisms to consult carers/partners, potentially missing vital information that could inform risk assessments and identify domestic abuse, especially in elderly patients.
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terms: service
PFD report
61match
Emma Day
The Gaia Centre did not record the details of protective orders, Lambeth Children’s Social Care lacked knowledge of the orders, and the Metropolitan Police Service's Merlin Report did not mention the Non-Molestation Order, highlighting a potential system failure regarding protective orders and information sharing; the Child Maintenance Service of Department of Work and Pensions also exhibited a system...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
61match
#24 - Prevalence of sexual harassment in financial services is unacceptable
We have been appalled by testimonies we have received about the prevalence of sexual harassment in the financial services industry, including from some of the brave women who told us about their experiences at our own private roundtable event. Although sexual harassment against women is a societal problem, it is worse in financial services than in many other...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
60match
#13 - Increase multi-year funding for by-and-for honour-based abuse services via simpler grants
The Government should increase the funding available to by-and-for services that support victims of honour-based abuse. The Government should commit to providing this funding across multiple years. It should also assess the merits of that funding being made available in a simple grant form so it is accessible to smaller organisations which lack the resources to compete with...
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terms: service
NAO recommendation
60match
Tackling violence against women and girls
The Home Office, as the lead department for the Safer Streets mission and tackling violence against women and girls, should: a establish a shared vision for how the government?s target to halve violence and women and girls will be met, by: ? developing a system-level plan for halving VAWG that is informed by an evidence-based theory of change,...
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terms: vawg
PFD report
57match
Jessica Laverack
The report identifies a need for recognition of the link between domestic abuse and suicide, lack of systems to care for vulnerable individuals not meeting 'high risk' criteria, and a lack of information sharing between agencies.
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terms: need
Committee recommendation
57match
#11 - Set ambitious, long-term proposals for reforming the policing system and addressing crime.
Given the importance of the Government’s ambitions on crime and policing, including halving knife crime and halving Violence Against Women and Girls, and the significant challenges facing the policing system, we encourage the Government to be ambitious in setting out its proposals for reform and not just focus on easy, short-term wins. (Recommendation, Paragraph 43) Impact on police...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
56match
#11 - Funding cuts to gender-specific programming devastate women and girls, denying vital support.
Funding cuts to gender-specific programming will be devastating for women and girls, starving them of vital support and services. The Government has not learned lessons from the previous Government about the severe impacts of funding cuts to programming for women and girls. (Conclusion, Paragraph 77)
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
55match
#67 - Explain government support for efforts to end violence against women and girls in Pacific Islands.
The Government should explain if, and, if so, how it is supporting the Pacific Partnership and other efforts to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the Pacific Islands. (Paragraph 256) 74 Tilting horizons: the Integrated Review and the Indo-Pacific
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terms: vawg
IOPC learning recommendation
55match
Recommendation - Avon and Somerset Police, March 2025
The IOPC recommends that Avon and Somerset Police implement a dynamic triaging process for Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) applications. This will establish the level of risk for the applicant throughout the process and prioritise those with a higher level of potential risk. Avon and Somerset Police must take the necessary steps to ensure that the safeguarding of...
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terms: need
PFD report
53match
Jade Rayner
Police failed to record and investigate a sexual offence allegation against a vulnerable patient, denying her victim support. There was also a lack of clear multi-agency strategy for complex cases involving trauma and alcohol misuse.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
53match
#14 - Establish a national ringfenced funding pot for 'by and for' services with standardised bidding
We recommend the establishment of a national ringfenced pot of money for ‘by and for’ services. This pot should be designed so ‘by and for’ services apply for funding using a standardised bidding process to minimise the administrative burden. (Recommendation, Paragraph 37)
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terms: service
PFD report
49match
Anne-Marie Katherine Ellement
The Armed Forces' victim support code lacks specific provision for serious sexual assault victims within the military, and staff managing suicide vulnerability risk assessments receive insufficient training and follow-up.
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classifier match
PFD report
49match
Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem
Severe understaffing in the domestic abuse unit meant cases were not investigated, leaving high-risk victims vulnerable to ongoing violence and threats due to a lack of effective police action.
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classifier match
PFD report
49match
Sylvia Crowther
Police failed to seek the victim's views on bail conditions for her husband, as required by law, and she was not informed of these conditions, missing an opportunity to consider alternative support.
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classifier match
PFD report
49match
Lee-Ann Ince
Agencies supporting the victim lacked understanding of coercive control and the impact of "love bombing." Children's concerns were overlooked, and the victim's physical health vulnerability was not recognised, increasing her risk.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#31 - Incorporate support for women and children conceived through rape into the Women's Health Strategy.
The Government’s plans for the Women’s Health Strategy for England should include support and guidance for women who have conceived as a result of rape, and for children born as a result of rape. This should include tailored information on the NHS website, including on rape-induced gynaecological issues. (Paragraph 113) Training and standards
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#1 - Muslim women experience increasing, gendered, and intersectional abuse and discrimination in the UK.
Muslims in the UK face increasing levels of online, verbal, and physical abuse and discrimination. Muslim women are disproportionately likely to face such abuse and experience it in ways that are specifically gendered and often linked to their race and/or ethnic identity, as well as their perceived inability to retaliate. Such abuse and harassment occurs in everyday situations,...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
48match
#24 - Continue advancing 'Leave No One Behind' and raise marginalised groups' SRHR rights diplomatically.
Over recent years, there has been an alarming rollback on the rights of women and girls globally, of which SRHR are integral, and further criminalisation of LGBT+ people. The merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with the Department for International Development offers an opportunity for the FCDO to better use its diplomatic position to obtain its development...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
48match
#36 - Collect data on non-disclosure agreement use by regulated firms in misconduct cases.
In the meantime, we recommend that the FCA collect data on the use of NDAs by regulated firms in cases of non-financial misconduct. This will provide a more detailed, quantitative picture of the extent of their use in financial services in harassment cases, which could provide valuable evidence to support further action. (Paragraph 168) Sexism in the City...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
48match
#33 - Launch an awareness campaign to publicise FCA whistleblowing line and clarify its use.
We recommend that the FCA launches an awareness campaign to publicise the availability of its whistleblowing line and clarify the circumstances in which it can be used, including that nothing in a non-disclosure agreement can prevent an individual from reporting harassment to the FCA. This could be part of a wider campaign to map out the different options...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
48match
#31 - Regulators' powers constrained in tackling non-financial misconduct
There is an important role for regulators to play in ensuring that firms tackle sexual harassment. We welcome the proposals by the Financial Conduct Authority and by the Prudential Regulation Authority to strengthen their regimes for tackling non-financial misconduct, including sexual misconduct. We note, however, that the regulators are constrained by their legal powers to take action, and...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
48match
#28 - Strengthen whistleblowing legislation to protect and support sexual harassment whistleblowers
We have heard that whistleblowing processes within financial services firms are often ineffective at tackling bad behaviour or protecting those who report harassment. The Government is undertaking a review of whistleblowing laws, and we strongly recommend that the Government seeks to strengthen whistleblowing legislation to provide greater protection and support to whistleblowers in sexual harassment cases.
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
48match
#25 - Adopt zero-tolerance to sexual harassment, ensuring thorough investigations and appropriate consequences
Firms need to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards sexual harassment and abuse and take concrete action to embed this approach within their organisations. Impunity for perpetrators, who are often well known in their organisations for serial offending, must end. As well as being the right thing to do, several high- profile cases in 2023 show the potential negative...
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terms: need
Committee recommendation
47match
#5 - Tenth Report - The humanitarian situation in Tigray
We welcome the statement by the G7 group condemning the killing of civilians, sexual and gender-based violence, indiscriminate shelling and forced displacement of civilian populations. We recommend that the UK Government uses its long- standing diplomatic and development relationship with Ethiopia to ensure the Ethiopian Government acts on its responsibility to protect its population from violence, and works...
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terms: need
HMICFRS recommendation
47match
Police perpetrated domestic abuse: Report on the Centre for Women's Justice super-complaint
Police and Crime Commissioners should consider whether specific risks and barriers experienced by PPDA victims are being taken into account when commissioning victims' support services.
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terms: service
IMB recommendation
47match
Askham Grange (2024)
The Board recommends that the Prison Service ensures the provision of services to support prisoners who have been subject to sexual and domestic violence, following the Governor’s requests over the past 12 months.
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IMB annual report
46match
Askham Grange (2025)
HMP/YOI Askham Grange is a safe and well-run open prison for women, with strong staff-prisoner relationships and a focus on rehabilitation and resettlement. The Board commends the high standards in education and key worker engagement, as well as the positive regime and family support. Key concerns include the impact of short sentences on resettlement outcomes, the lack of...
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Committee recommendation
45match
#8 - Develop specific strategy to engage boys on sexual harassment in schools, laying before Parliament.
Engagement with boys and young men is crucial for tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence in educational settings. As part of the review of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), the Department for Education and the Government Equalities Office should work together to develop a specific strategy for engaging with boys and young men in primary and secondary...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#30 - Clarify enforcement collaboration between EHRC and FCA on Worker Protection Act
Given the potential overlap between the aims of the Worker Protection Act, which will be enforced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), and the proposals by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on handling sexual misconduct in financial services, we recommend that the EHRC and the FCA clarify how they will work together to enforce the Worker...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
44match
#29 - Worker Protection Act imposes new duty on firms to prevent sexual harassment
The new Worker Protection Act imposes a new duty on firms to prevent sexual harassment. We hope that this legislation has the desired impact of incentivising firms to take greater action to prevent harassment in the workplace, and we will monitor closely its effectiveness at reducing cases of sexual harassment in financial services.
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terms: service
HMICFRS recommendation
44match
Police response to violence against women and girls: Final inspection report
Immediate review of use of outcomes 15 and 16 in violence against women and girls offences.
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classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
43match
MACP-30 - Proactively use local minority ethnic contacts for victim support and sensitive witness handling.
That Police Services and Victim Support Services ensure that their systems provide for the pro-active use of local contacts within minority ethnic communities to assist with victim support and with the handling and interviewing of sensitive witnesses.
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
43match
#15 - Introduce a distinct honour-based abuse strategy specifically aimed at male victims
We recognise the overwhelming majority of victims of honour-based abuse are female, but this must not detract from the experiences of male victims. We are concerned the inclusion of men and boys in strategies primarily aimed at women and girls fails to empower male victims and can contribute to underreporting. The Government should consider introducing a distinct honour-based...
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
43match
#22 - Include marginalised and excluded groups in SRHR programme planning and invest in their organisations.
People from marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities and LGBT+ people, may face additional and unique challenges in accessing SRHR services. The FCDO should ensure its commitment to the principle of ‘Leave No One Behind’ in all its SRHR aid programmes. The FCDO should include hard-to-reach aid recipients, often those belonging to often marginalised and excluded groups,...
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terms: service
Committee recommendation
43match
#21 - Ensure FCDO SRHR programmes include dedicated budget, targets, and disaggregated data for disabled people.
People with disabilities may face additional barriers to accessing SRHR programmes and providing services to people with disabilities may often take additional resources. Consequently, organisations implementing development programmes may be disincentivised from reaching marginalised groups as programmes are often required to show that they have reached as many recipients as possible. The FCDO should ensure that all SRHR...
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terms: service